Colder than Cania
by just-passing-time
Summary: Valens’ about to face his greatest challenge yet; the cold woman Vikki. She’s the prophetical saviour of the Underdark, but this tiefling knows better than to trust fairy tales sent by the Gods.
1. Mind Flayers

MIND FLAYERS

"_My lady_," I started harshly.

She smirked at my name for her, the irony and insult behind it clear. She was no lady; she was a monster.

"I'm not a creature for you to _tame _for your entertainment," I concluded gruffly.

Her insinuation that I was merely a puppet, a slave to her will, was insultingly infuriating.

I was here with her of my own will… wasn't I?

Right now, playing the part of her slave, I wasn't so sure. Oddly, it seemed so much like my actual role within her company; she points and I kill.

"It's like what they say about old dogs and new tricks; it's not easy, but it's possible," she stated blandly.

As she spoke she observed waterfall that blocked our path, the water glimmering unnaturally in the low light. It was obvious, even to me, that it was of magical origins.

"I thought it went; you _can't_ teach old dogs new tricks," I retaliated.

"If that's the case; what are you; an old dog or a puppy?" she retorted deviously.

A cheeky smirk, so different to her usually cold one, was pulling at the corners of her lips, making her seem so much younger. When she offered a full smile though, the image of the small innocent girl was shattered; her pointed eye teeth and dead eyes giving it a sinister twist.

I didn't give her the satisfaction of a reply, simply donning to ignore her in favour of the still very much intact waterfall.

I didn't know much about magic, but I knew through past dealings with Mind Flayers that they relied on the power of illusion. Due to my knowledge of this, I had the hunch that this imposing waterfall was more than probably just that; an illusion.

Vikki, hesitant to approach the seemingly real water, still kept a great distance; appraising it from afar.

I was rapidly growing impatient and knew that, with her phobia, she wasn't going to solve this problem anytime soon.

Her fear of water wasn't _completely _irrational when you got down to it. She couldn't physically swim or be splashed with any form of water. This was due to her white dragon heritage. Everything she touched froze, water being no exception. If it were it a real waterfall, running through it would result in Vikki trapping herself within a prison of ice almost instantaneously.

Regardless, we didn't have anytime to stand idly. Every second wasted here was one that could have brought me closer to returning to my Seers side.

Not wanting to wait any longer for Vikki to make her move, I stormed up to the waterfall.

The helmet of a deugar that Vikki and I had disposed of moments ago lay but a metre from the water. Gently, I kicked the helmet through the cascading water, and it slowly rolled out of my sight. The water didn't belt down upon the metal helmet like it should have. Instead, it simply shimmered and allowed the helmet the pass through unharmed.

Turning around, I smirked in Vikki's direction.

"Nothing but an illusion," I voiced.

As soon as I'd said this I passed through the waterfall, chuckling to myself and knowing that Vikki would take a while to work up her courage. Her fear of water was so powerful that even when she knew it was an illusion, she couldn't bring herself to pass through it.

It was all about mind over matter, just like so many other things in life.

Looking about I noticed all the void eyed slaves, walking about with no greater purpose than following their slavers orders. Turning around, I found that the waterfall, from this side, was invisible. Vikki still stood before it, approaching it with determination clear within her eyes, before falling back at the last second and retreating. I offered a small chuckle at her distress.

Noticing my arrival, a Mind Flayer from across the open area started to approach me with increasing speed. Panicked, I looked behind me again, my eyes wide.

Vikki still wasn't making any progress; she wouldn't be out in time to put on the helmet and claim to be my slaver as planned.

So, once more, I took it into my own hands.

Reaching down I scooped up the large helmet, easily placing it onto my head, the sounds about me loosing a considerable amount of volume. My vision was hampered, and the metal was cold, but I knew that I was safe from the Mind Flayers probing thoughts.

The said creature approached me, the numerous tentacles upon its face reaching out in my direction.

_Take off your helmet,_ the creature commanded of me.

The sound of its inhuman voice resounded within my mind and I motioned towards the vacant faced slaves.

"I don't wish to become like one of them. The helmet stays."

_Very well,_ it said harshly. _What brings you here? _

"The slave trade," I stated simply.

With convenient timing, Vikki charged head on through the empty space where the waterfall illusion was, her eyes tightly shut. I nearly lost my footing when she ran straight into my back, her head colliding with my metal plate.

_At least it was just her head; not anything vital_, I thought.

"I'm here to sell this one," I continued. "She's somewhat… faulty."

_Allow me to fix it for you; they can become a nuisance otherwise, _the Mind Flayer offered in repulsion.

It took a step towards Vikki, its tentacles reaching out in her direction. She suddenly went rigid, her eyes were lifelessly vacant.

Although it would be amusing to see her completely helpless and commanding my every whim, I needed her. I couldn't take on the Overmind on my own. On top of that, the affects of the Mind Flayers were permanent, the Seer would be furious. Despite this however, a little bit of my mind told me that that was what made it all the more appealing.

Sighing, I reached out a restraining arm towards the Mind Flayer, whom, in reply, stepped out of my reach in utmost disgust. It dusted off the part of its clothed shoulder I'd been within a hairs breath of, and slanted its eerily inhuman eyes.

A cold hiss resounded within my mind.

I gave a grim attempt at acting casual, whilst I internally worried at the prospect of my bluff being seen right through by my deadly powerful enemy.

"Don't," I said forcefully. "I'd prefer her to be intact when I sell her. Don't destroy her mind quite yet."

Thankfully, the Mind Flayer didn't remain within our presence any longer, turning and walking away without another word… or, more specifically in this case, without another powerful thought.

The effects laid upon Vikki were instantly lifted, her eyes taking on their cold gleam of steely determination once more. She turned to me with a smirk, her sharply pointed eye teeth gleaming menacingly in the low light.

"You're a liar," she stated simply.

"I had to say I was your slaver, you were still trying to overcome the _fearful_ waterfall," I pointed out.

My voice rose considerably as each word left my lips, but before I could say anything more she cut me off with a raised hand.

"That's not what I was talking about," she said. "I was referring to when you told it 'not to destroy my mind '. We both know my minds not intact."

Chuckling sinisterly, she started ahead, her eyes cold and harsh.

I'd never heard anything more truthful than that leave her lips, and I doubted I ever would again.


	2. Winged Elves

WINGED ELVES

She cut down all whom stood in her way; drow or otherwise.

A medusa that, through a potion we'd gained immunity of, had asked of us the answer to one of her riddles. In exchange she'd promised us her shards of the mirror in which we, and the drow Sabal, were searching for to gain the co-operation of the Mind Flayers. Vikki had snickered, reaching her long slender fingers into the medusa's abdomen with a sickening squelch, her claws having effortlessly pierced through its thick flesh.

"Is the answer blood? Otherwise, I'm all out of ideas," Vikki had questioned earnestly.

She'd let the corpse drop lifelessly to the floor, searching her body for the shards and then leaving the dead medusa in her burning library.

One of the winged elves, a cleric to the evil god of disease, had cursed her; condemning her to death whilst naming numerous diseases. Unaffected, Vikki had simply laughed, slashing his exposed throat all too easily with a swipe of her claws. She'd bent over his still warm corpse, retrieving the shards that we were searching for.

Then, she'd lent forward, whispering in his ear.

"Dragon immunity," she had hissed.

One after the other she disposed of; the confused merchant, the retired arch mage, his incredibly young and equally mad apprentice. She killed them all to suit her own ends, and she did so unblinkingly.

That was until we'd approached the castle, The Fool taking control and leading the show. Vikki had no power over him; he'd been the one to pull the strings. He'd used Sabal and Vikki to _his _own ends, pitting them against each other in a fight to the death for all the shards.

Sabal's cruelty had rivalled even Vikki's, but her skill had not. Before long she too was dead by Vikki's hand and claw.

Now, The Fool transported us to the cave in which the past queen of the winged elves resided, her sour scorn her only company.

All of this changed when the shards were placed back within their frame, magically reforged into the beautiful mirror that it had once been.

Without a single word of thanks from the winged elves, the town disappeared about us. Despite this show of magic, my eyes were on Vikki the whole time. She stared into the magical mirror, her eyes cold and harsh. There was something else to them though, something that even a fool could identify; fear.

Her reflection, upon first inspection, appeared much the same. However, when one really looked at it, true to its name, it mirrored her very image. Her skin was no longer deathly white, but a balmy pink, and her hair, no longer wild and colourless, was a smooth brown. Most prominent of all, however, were her eyes. They held the most pure and intense warmth, something that seemed foreign upon her features.

"No," Vikki whispered suddenly.

Cold mist escaped from her white parted lips.

Her reflection smiled warmly; full lips bright red and perfectly rounded teeth.

Vikki reached out a hesitant hand towards the mirror, her claws retracted. Her slender fingers gently touched the surface, tenderly caressing the mirrored image. Within moments, however, ice cascaded over the mirror, hiding her other side from our world.

The ice hid the alternate Vikki, the one that wasn't tainted. The kind, warm woman that would be were it not for the cold draconic blood that flowed through her veins.

Upon this realisation, I felt a pit of despair form within my stomach. There really wasn't any hope for me, her blood and heritage made her into the woman she was today. I was no exception.

I would never truly escape my demonic blood, and I couldn't fight it forever. It was a curse that would be with me until the day I died. Our blood shaped who we were, who we are, and who we will soon become; Vikki was a testament of this.

Worst of all, the only person that would ever truly understand me was the cold woman that I hated almost as much as my curse.


	3. Vix’Thra

VIX'THRA

The sound of the gong continued to resound within the eerie town, the scared whispers of the villagers accompanying it. Vikki leant against the side of a building, picking disinterestedly at her sharp, white claws as people began to gather around the seemingly sacred gong.

Vikki had rung it after deciphering the ancient language on its brass, rough surface. She had not translated it out loud to quench my curiosity, which led me to believe that nothing good was to come of her ringing it.

The two dark knights whom guarded the over looming castle had been motionless up until this point. Now, they deemed to walk towards the growing mass of cowering townsfolk.

The overbearing doors to the previously mentioned stone structure were flung open on their hinges. A robed man, almost as pale as that of my cold companion, gracefully and purposefully marched towards the gong.

"The gong has been rung, Vix'thra demands a sacrifice," the pale man called powerfully. "Are there any who come willingly?"

The pale man's accent was thick and peculiar, and his boomingly slick voice sent chills cascading along my spine. He was not at all unlike Vikki in his demeanour.

Vikki smirked; watching the scene unfold before us with obvious interest, the cleaning of her blood stained claws long forgotten.

The man, easily bored it seemed, pointed towards a cowering young woman whom clutched protectively to a small child whom was openly weeping.

"Vix'thra deems you worthy," he stated simply.

None questioned his choosing, all openly thankful that they were not chosen, all except for the woman and her screeching child. It was obvious to all who watched that the woman was not frightened for her own safety, but for that of her child. It was only a baby, unable to care for itself were its mother to be taken for this 'sacrifice'.

Vikki simply watched on in interest, she didn't make a move to step in and aid the mother. She found the fear and protectiveness the woman portrayed for her child, remarkably fascinating.

What kind of upbringing did Vikki have if she's confused and intrigued when one puts somebody else's needs and wellbeing before even their own?

Did this have something to do with why she acted as she did? Or was I just imagining things to excuse her obviously evil acts? Was I imagining it to assure myself that there was good in everyone, despite their blood?

The knights both approached the previously dubbed sacrifice, the woman in question backing away in upmost fear for her child's wellbeing, clutching at the small bundle instinctively.

Shocked from her stupor, Vikki looked back at me, her lips drawn in a flat line. She seemed hesitant to say what she was thinking. Steely determination clear within her eyes, she nodded towards the mother and her wailing infant.

"You know you want to be the knight in emerald armour; go ahead," she stated simply.

I drew Devil's Bane, my flail feeling at home within my tight two-handed grip. I fought the urge to grin at Vikki's subtle, yet real, show of concerned for another, even if it was simply a nameless villager and her young child.

She was weakening at the seams, and I was starting to see more of the woman and less of the snow dragon. Although, how much of the woman was left behind the icy walls she'd build within her was a mystery.

I could only hope that the ice would continue to melt.

Growling deep within my throat, I charged forward, roaring a stormy battle cry.

"Into the flames we leap."


	4. Aribeth

ARIBETH

I sat beside the fire, making sure that it wouldn't go out before the beautiful elven woman had completely thawed.

Vikki stood back, knowing from past experience that her cold presence near the fire would definitely extinguish it. She feinted disinterest, looking everywhere but the woman in ice. I thought I'd seen a spark of recognition in her eyes upon finding the elf and my suspicions had been confirmed when she'd uttered the name 'Aribeth' beneath her breath.

So we waited for the mysterious woman, a fierce looking spirit whom had been rumoured to have opposed Mephistopheles, to be freed from her block of ice.

It, in all honesty, had surprised me that Vikki had even bothered going so far out of her way for another being. Then again, it was ultimately to her advantage; bringing us closer to our escape of this frozen over hell.

Our escape... something that, the closer we came to it, the more it seemed as if Vikki didn't want to leave.

She was at home in this frozen wasteland of evil beings, but I seriously doubted that was her reason for wanting to stay. No, it was something more. Something I intended to find out.

I saw movement from the elf, just a slight twitch of her finger, but movement none the less. Her whole arm was free, the rest of the ice melting rapidly now. Her arm was the first thing freed, then her torso and, in turn, her head and legs.

The elf blinked; her expression dazed and child-like. Her beautiful eyes fell onto me and, without warning, she attacked.

Her speed and accuracy was not at all hampered by her previous imprisonment within the ice. She was, after all, a spirit, no longer alive.

She hadn't picked up her weapon that lay half frozen in the snow near the fire; having attacked me almost instantly. Why though? Was it fear, or something different altogether?

She laid a right hook on my cheek before I could properly defend myself, her skin as cold as the ice that had previously been her prison. I cringed upon the impact; feeling warm, tangy blood well up within my mouth.

She went to kick me in the chest; her technique and form making me wonder what kind of training she had received in life. I was one step, so to speak, ahead of her. I grasped her foot and ankle within a tight, two-handed grip. I spun her foot about, spinning her in the air and causing her to lose her balance. She face planted in the snow, a small hiss escaping her lips.

Vikki simply evaluated the exchange with a vacant and unreadable mask held firmly in place. It was an expression she always wore when her face wasn't marred with her ice cold smirk.

"Why did you free me?" the elf asked.

She still lay in a heap n the ground, her breathing heavy, and hair covering her face. Being a spirit, she was completely void of colour. Despite this all, it took no genius to see that she had been a vessel of pure beauty in life. Hells, even in death she was.

Her voice, however, didn't match her appearance.

Appearances were always deceiving. Except, of course, in Vikki's case; she was as cold as she looked.

When she spoke it sent chills running up and down my neck. It was as if two beings had spoken. One was a deep, dark voice, a voice that didn't seem to belong to her. The other was timid and innocent, softer and less dominant than the last.

"Haven't I been through enough already?" the elf pressed.

The softer voice was more prominent in that statement, but when the elf looked up again her face had shifted to a darker mask, her eyes fierce and warning.

"Just leave me be!" she shouted aggressively.

My frown deepened, and I looked to Vikki. She usually handled these situations, whilst I sat on the side lines and watched. Her eyes, ever calculating, failed to show a hint of her inner thoughts, she didn't look like she was going to step up and take control this time.

I knelt down beside the spirit, cautious of her altering moods. Once I was sure she wasn't about to attack me, I motioned towards the slowly dying fire that I had used to free her.

"You were cold so I warmed you," I stated. "Was that really so bad?"

"I'm broken; will you fix me?" she asked eerily. "I'm a betrayer; will you trust me?"

I heard Vikki give a small, humourless chuckle, but she didn't offer her input, donning to simply watch.

The spirit wasn't in her right mind; that much was obvious. However, what the cause of her insanity was, I wasn't sure. All I knew was that something was eating her up from the inside. It was something so terrible that, even in death, it plagued her.

Playing mind games with her would just send us in circles. She wasn't in her right mind, and it was cruel to torture her further. It would be best to get straight to the point.

"You were the spirit that opposed Mephistopheles, yes?" I asked.

"What does it matter? It did no good. Even when I have nothing to loose, I'm worthless. I didn't think I could fall any further, but here I am," she rambled. "No wonder my god left me."

Her opposing voices spoke as one, making her seem all the more inhuman because of this.

My eyes widened, though I tried not to show it. She was a _paladin_. What was a paladin doing in the ninth hell?

…Unless she'd fallen from grace.

"I opposed him; yes, but it did no good. So, in my shame, I came here," she said.

Her voice was quiet, scared.

Suddenly her whole demeanour shifted for the worse.

"That was until you decided to torture me further," she shouted. "You woke me! I was finally asleep. There was finally darkness, finally oblivion. I was at peace."

Her eyes were hard and her voice was brutally ferocious.

"Aribeth, you really did keep digging after you hit rock bottom," Vikki suddenly droned. "If I'd known that simply killing you would result in this encounter, I would have done the _lawful_ thing and turned you over to the City Watch instead. Then again, they probably would have simply hung you for your betrayal, and I'd still have to listen to your insane ramblings."

Vikki's voice was unexpected, I'd almost forgotten about her. Keeping her distance, she paced back and forth slowly, reminding me somewhat of a caged animal.

Aribeth looked up from her place on the ground, as if only now noticing my companion's presence. A small, dour smile curved at the spirit's lips upon recognising the speaker. She said nothing in reply to Vikki's insulting comment. She seemed to expect such words from her, she seemed to _appreciate_ them.

A sudden chill fell over me, and the fire went out completely, alerting me of Vikki's immediate presence. She approached the kneeling spirit, a determined gleam to her cold, hard eyes. Once she was within reach of Aribeth, she reached out, carefully placing a slender white hand on her shoulder.

Aribeth looked to Vikki's hand in disgust, trying to tug away. Vikki, having other plans, simply dug her claws into the flesh of the spirits shoulder. Not deep enough to cause serious pain, but just enough to keep the spirit in place.

Ice crept out from beneath Vikki's hand, stretching out over the elven spirit's colourless body. Aribeth, understanding what she was trying to do, did not fight the growing sheets of ice that promised to encase her.

I glanced suspiciously at Vikki from the corner of my eye. She really did revel in the death of others. Why did she do it when there were always other options? Did she enjoy the power that taking weaker lives brought her? Or was it something else altogether that made her act this way?

I frowned as I watched her, her next actions making me rethink everything I'd always thought about her and her motives.

The spirit locked eyes with Vikki for the barest of moments, before grasping hold of her cold wrist within her remaining, unfrozen arm. She held Vikki in place, being sure that she could not avoid eye contact.

"Thank you, Vikki," Aribeth whispered.

Immediately after she had spoken, the ice enveloped the whole spirit, causing her to fall both still and silent. She's finally been granted her eternal slumber.

Vikki carefully pried Aribeth's frozen fingers from around her wrist, placing the spirit's rigid arm back to her side as the ice around her continued to thicken.

Once Vikki was done with her, it was obvious that none would be able to thaw Aribeth out ever again. The spirit was free; she was free within her prison of ice.

Vikki turned from the solid block of ice, her eyes, once more, downcast and ---sorrowful? Feeling my curious eyes on her, her whole mood suddenly altered.

"Well that was a complete waste of our time," she seethed.

With that she made her way to the entrance we'd used to get into this snow filled cave. Her strides were long and regal, and her poise ever unwavering. It was when she looked back over her shoulder at Aribeth that I knew it was all a mask.

She wasn't as strong as she seemed; she never was.

What Vikki uttered next was so quiet that I wasn't completely sure if it was the wind playing tricks on me or not.

"Sleep well, my friend."

* * *

Any and all whom are reading, reviews are greatly appreciated; it helps me know what it is that you enjoy or dislike thus far.

~just-passing-time


	5. Grimgnow

GRIMGNOW

"You see, we can't have someone like you, Vikki, overpowering us when we finally call this hell as our own," Grimgnow stated.

The cave was dark and equally damp, but, to our advantage, it was open enough to allow full vision of everyone else. There weren't too many of them; a minotaur with a hefty axe, an undead lich, a robed wizard, a vertically challenged female assassin, and Grimgnow himself, the short yet sturdy monk.

They didn't seem to pose too much of a threat, well, it was nothing that we couldn't handle anyway.

"Well, I dare say that this poses as I problem for both of us then, because I don't particularly want to be killed to ensure your safety in the matter," she stated. "Nor am I going to be."

He offered a hearty chuckle in reply to Vikki's blasé manner, instead of replying in caution as I'd anticipated.

"I see you haven't changed at all since we last met," he stated.

I shifted my weight from foot to foot, uncomfortable and not sure where this was really leading.

"I got a new pair of boots and grew out my hair, but otherwise, you'd be correct," she replied evenly.

Her white scaled tail lashed about behind her, giving away the anger she felt but didn't express. Her tail had more emotions than she did.

"Tell me, how is this place during summer?" she queried of him. "Being that I'm going to be its new ruler soon, I figure I best get to know my region a bit better."

I told myself that she was joking, but deep down I wasn't too sure.

She wore a smug smirk upon her thin white lips, her pointed eye teeth glistening in the low light.

Grimgnow laughed heartily, turning to his companions who all seemed ready to attack on his word. All the while his eyes never left that of Vikki.

"Dispose of her, but don't be _too_ quick about it," Grimgnow ordered.

I charged ahead instantly, offering a cry of rage as I headed straight for the lich, knowing that it would physically be the weakest yet pose one of the biggest threats. I swung my flail in a sweeping motion, crushing the undead creature's head in one fluid swing.

"Well that one was utterly pathetic," Vikki mocked.

Through the dim of battle I could hear her clearly. Her metallic laughter sending chills up and down my spine that not even the surrounding snow could accomplish.

She slashed at the minotaur with her long, sharp claws; cutting and freezing its flesh with each hit. A smirk was ever present on her deathly pale face as she teasingly cut up the raging creature and side stepped Grimgnow's own blows with ease.

I felt a sudden unanticipated sting of acid hit me in the side, the sudden pain shocking me from my daze of sorts. I followed the line of distilled air to that of the wizard who was casting another spell at me with shocking speed. I gritted my teeth against the pain and charged the robed man.

At first, swinging my flail seemed pointless; my blows rebounding off some kind of invisible shield that surrounded the spell caster. Despite this, I pressed on. As I hit at the barrier between myself and my target, I felt wave after wave of scorching fire blast me head on. It melted away pieces of my armour and welded other parts of it to my skin. I pushed aside the pain I felt and concentrated on what was in front of me instead.

I knew the instant the spell protecting the wizard failed, a large burst of bright white lighting up the cave for the barest of moments. I didn't give him a chance to put up another defensive spell, swinging my flail around and hitting him side-on.

The hit knocked him right off his feet, causing him to fall in a heap of robes and limp limbs. He didn't rise from where he'd fallen.

I offered him no further attention, turning to face that of Vikki who was finishing off the minotaur in a single swipe to its jugular. Its arms were frozen to its sides, despite its great strength, allowing her to go in for the kill without fear of him harming her in the process.

Our eyes on Grimgnow now, we were both caught off guard when a bolt hit Vikki in the upper ribs, sinking in quite deep. She stood motionless for a few seconds; ice encasing the bolt in place and blood trickling slowly form her parted lips. The blood stood out, bright red in contrast to her white skin.

We'd forgotten about the assassin; an amateur, and in this case fatal, mistake.

Vikki fell to her knees, hitting the hard stone floor as the bones in both of them cracking upon impact, the sounded resounding off the thick walls. Her limbs limp, she fell in an ashen heap.

"What do you know, she _does_ bleed," Grimgnow laughed heartily.

He didn't seem off put by the fact that we'd just disposed of three of his companions, and I was still alive and well, prepared to attack him.

He knelt down to her, checking for a pulse hesitantly. His hand, and with it, his arm, didn't encase in a sheet of ice like expected though, this pleasing him greatly. With a smile he looked up at me from under his brow.

"I'd love to stay, but I've got plans to set in place. I dare not waste any more time on you lest someone beat me to my rightful place as ruler of this hell," he uttered smugly.

I growled, gripping my flail tighter than ever and stepping towards him and the assassin.

Before I got the chance to attack the remaining two, however, they disappeared in a laughing flash of red light.

I turned in a full circle, making sure that they were truly gone before kneeling beside my fallen companion and reclasping my flail to its place upon my belt. I rested my fingers on her neck, hoping to find what Grimgnow had not.

I didn't find a pulse. All that I found was that her skin was warmer in death than it had been in life.

The bolt, still wedged between two of her ribs, was no longer encased in ice; it having mostly melted already. With a grim set to my jaw, I reached forward and tugged the dampened bolt free, tossing it aside with disgust.

Once I'd done this I rolled Vikki onto her side. I did this so that I could free her magic bag which I knew held her rod of resurrection; apparently a good investment on her behalf.

I found the rod easily within the well worn and disgustingly ratty bag that was a sorry excuse for a magic item. The rod was one of very few items; the bag being near empty.

I'd never realised how little she owned. She didn't even carry a weapon on her person, making do with her claws and the perks of her white dragon heritage. Hells, even her metal armour was old and worn, offering very little protection. Come to think of it, she hadn't gotten very many magical properties placed onto it back in the Underdark when she'd had my own equipment upgraded.

What did she do with all the money she collected?

I grasped the magic rod firmly within my hands, looking down at the woman before me. The cold, heartless woman whom had turned my whole world upside down; causing more problems than she'd solved in all my time of knowing her.

She was evil, there was no doubt about it; purely and methodologically evil.

Regardless, she had a greater purpose than this; I knew that she had so much unfinished business, only one of which was killing Mephistopheles.

Even she didn't deserve this meaningless death.

Also, selfish as it was for me to think this, I needed her to get out of this hell. After that, I knew that I wouldn't feel too badly about her sudden and brutal passing.

Sighing, I touched the tip of the rod to her pale forehead, immediately hearing the quiet _hum_ of magic as it washed over her.

I watched as a white mist fell back into her unmoving form and her wounds healed before my very eyes. Once they were fully healed, her lids fluttered open, her eyes confused. Eventually, she focused on me, a downwards curve to her eyebrows.

I huffed disinterestedly, standing once more, appraising the room and taking in the three blood smeared corpses that we had left.

Vikki laughed dryly as she stood on unsteady legs, dusting them off when she was sure they could support her weight. As she did this, she looked back at me from over her shoulder.

She offered a small chuckle, and I knew what was to come.

"How long did it take you to decide whether to bring me back or simply leave me?" she asked curiously.

I gave her a small sneer, fighting the smirk that tugged at the edges of my lips.

"My lady," I started mockingly. "Why would you think such a thing?"

She observed the frozen minotaur pointedly, playful cuts littering his entire body. She offered a humourless chuckle, her downcast eyes taking on the appearance of a dark winter snowstorm.

"I certainly wouldn't have brought me back," she stated flatly.

I hid my surprise as best as I could manage, her comment having been completely unexpected, even for her.

But then, I'd come to expect the unexpected with her.

"I'm not like you."

She chuckled bleakly, as if it were all just an ironic joke. When she spoke again, her voice was hollow.

"And that's what makes you, my tiefling, human."

* * *

Any and all reviews are greatly appreciated.

~just-passing-time


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